'Clock kid' Ahmed Mohamed plans $15 million lawsuit
The family of a Texas teenager who was questioned and threatened with suspension after he brought homemade clock to school has filed a $15 million lawsuit in connection to the incident.
Lawyers for Ahmed Mohamed are seeking $10 million in damages from the city of Irving, Texas and $5 million from the local school district, the Dallas Morning-News reported. The suit contends the teen's reputation "in the global community is permanently scarred."
The lawsuit claim is as many as seven adults questioned the 14-year-old after the device was discovered. It also claims he was pressured to sign a statement saying he intended to bring a "hoax bomb" to school. Mohamed has maintained the device was a clock that he made at home and brought to school to show a teacher.
Mohamed's lawyers said Irvington city and school officials conspired to discredit the teenager in the media.
The family is also seeking a written apology from the city's mayor and police chief.
Mohamed's questioning garnered international attention and charges of discrimination. He later received a shout-out from President Obama and attended an astronomy event at the White House.
Mohamed's family has since moved to Qatar where he is enrolled in a science education program. Monday's letter said the family has moved to Qatar for "personal security reasons" but plan to relocate back to Texas "when they feel safe again."
fonteAhmed Mohamed clock incident
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaIn 2015, there was widespread public reaction that included allegations of racial profiling and Islamophobia when a 14-year-old boy, Ahmed Mohamed, was arrested at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas for bringing an alleged hoax bomb to school.
Mohamed had repackaged an electronic clock in a pencil box and brought it to school to show his teachers. His English teacher thought the clock resembled a bomb, confiscated it and reported Mohamed to the school's principal. Local law enforcement was called and Mohamed was questioned by police for an hour and a half. After being taken into custody, handcuffed, and transported to a juvenile detention facility, he was fingerprinted and his photograph was taken. He was then released to his parents. The case was not pursued further by juvenile justice authorities, but Mohamed was suspended from school for three days.
News of the incident went viral – initially on Twitter – with allegations by some commentators that the actions of the school officials and police were due to their stereotyping of Mohamed based on his Sudanese ancestry and Muslim faith. A number of hoax allegations and conspiracy theories ensued. After U.S. President Barack Obama, politicians, activists, technology company executives, and media personalities remarked on the incident, Mohamed was invited to participate in a number of high-profile events related to encouraging youth interest in science and technology. After the incident, the family decided to move to Qatar, accepting a scholarship offered to Mohamed by the Qatar Foundation.
After the incident occurred, Police determined that Mohamed had no malicious intent, and he was not charged with any crime. On November 23, 2015 Ahmed's family threatened to sue the City of Irving and school district for civil rights violations and physical and mental anguish unless they receive a written apology, and compensation of $15 million dollars.
